Chapter 47

"Rebecca's daughter should only be loyal to Rebecca and the Pope! There's no way any of us would betray!"

"Rin has not responded to my summons three times while being confined in a rural temple. How could she not be planning to betray me?"

In the end, Isabel could not hide her anger.

"Doesn't the child have a reason for not responding to Your Holiness? Your Holiness! Did you really hear the divine revelation? I honestly don't know if you can hear it at all!"

"You are being presumptuous!"

Thud!

The Pope grabbed Isabel's slender neck with one hand. He then said menacingly to her, who was in pain,

"My will is Rebecca's will. Do you doubt me?"

Isabel had been raised by the church since she was a child. Like other priests and paladins, she was forced to show absolute loyalty to Rebecca and the Pope. It was a form of brainwashing, so even though she had a naturally free-spirited personality, she could never rebel against the Pope.

"...I believe."

Isabel choked out the words with difficulty. Only then did the Pope release his grip on her neck. He then gave a chillingly kind smile.

"I will give you two days. Bring Rin to me."

Bang!

The Pope, who had unilaterally given the order, went back into the room.

Cassius, who had been bowing all along, hurriedly got up. He then approached Isabel and asked cautiously,

"...What will you do?"

Isabel glared at the Pope's door for a while. Then, she finally lowered her head and said in a weak voice,

"What can I do... I have to do as I'm told."

Rin is also one of Rebecca's daughters. Even if the Pope is a despicable person and the church is corrupt, there's no way she would betray them. Right now, Rin is just in a period of doubt and wandering, feeling that it's impossible to straighten out the corrupt church.

Isabel knew this better than anyone. But since she had received the order, she had no choice but to act.

"..."

Cassius, who had been looking at Isabel with sympathy, turned his gaze to the window. He then looked beyond the full moon and prayed,

'Rebecca, please send a messenger to punish the corrupt Pope...'

***

It had already been four days since Grid left Winstone. During those four days, Grid's level had risen to 130, all thanks to Malakthe's Mantle. Since leaving Winstone, Grid had been wearing Malakthe's Mantle continuously.

"This is really good."

Grrr!

At the border between the Etrnal Kingdom and the Sahara Empire, in the Suaz Mountains, dozens of monsters gathered around Grid, drawn by the smell of blood emanating from Malakthe's Mantle.

For the past four days, Grid had been repeatedly hunting in this manner.

"Haah!"

The average level of the monsters in the Suaz Mountains was 160. Grid was now strong enough to fight 160-level monsters without using any skills.

As part of his training, he used only pure swordsmanship to cut down the monsters one by one.

Kiaaaak~!

Crack! Clang!

Grid's body, which had transcended human limits based on his overwhelming stats, was amazing.

Moving according to Grid's will, it allowed him to use sword techniques that he couldn't even perform in his warrior days with ease.

Swoosh!

Holding Dainsleif in both hands, Grid leaped high and spun three times vertically, using centrifugal force to deliver a powerful sword strike that split Eti's body in half.

Meanwhile, a troll's axe attack came swinging from the air, and three boulders thrown by Etis came from the left. A giant tree blocked the right, and the decapitated troll in front was regenerating and swinging its axe again.

Clang!

Easily blocking the troll's blind axe attack, Grid kicked off the giant tree to the right and leaped up. He then used the ogre's large axe as a stepping stone to accelerate in mid-air, shattering all three boulders with Dainsleif. He then charged into the center of the startled Etis.

Paf! Paf paf paf paf!!

A dark sword glow emerged from an unpredictable trajectory, slicing through the Etis' bodies.

One Eti, having lost sight due to the fluttering mantle and floundering for a moment, was horrified to discover that its entire clan had been wiped out in that short time.

Grid chased after the one that turned and ran, pierced its heart, and then threw the dying Eti towards a gargoyle descending from the sky.

Thud!

The gargoyle kicked the Eti away in annoyance. Meanwhile, Grid, who had already flown above the gargoyle's head using Fly, grinned.

"Hello?"

Kyaah!!

Startled, the gargoyle let out a scream and hastily fired a beam. Since they were so close, Grid couldn't avoid it and was hit. The gargoyle, thinking Grid would turn to stone, happily cackled.

But Grid was unharmed. The gargoyle, surprised, had its neck cut off by Dainsleif.

"Haha!"

Grid kept laughing. The more he fought, the more his level rose, and the more he felt his strength increasing, which made him happy.

"Let's go!"

There were still many monsters left on the ground.

Grid took out Phabranium from his inventory. Over the past four days, he had been working hard to significantly improve his ability to communicate with Phabranium.

Now, Phabranium not only protected Grid by circling around him but also responded to his will and attacked enemies first.

Pip!

Two golden discs, rotating like boomerangs, sliced the Achilles tendons of the ogre's ankles. Grid, who landed on the ogre's falling body, began a one-sided slaughter.

Monsters, still drawn by Malakthe's Mantle, kept pouring in even as he fought, and night had already fallen.

"Huff... Huff..."

Grid's stamina, with high Vitality and Endurance stats, was incredibly high. But even Grid would get tired after fighting all day.

After hunting hundreds of monsters and raising his level satisfactorily, Grid lay down on his back to rest.

Looking at the stars in the night sky, which seemed close enough to touch, he thought,

'I thought it would be good to wear Malakthe's Mantle while traveling to level up on the go, but... there are so many monsters everywhere, making the travel speed too slow.'

To complete the class change quest, he had to visit not only the Rebecca Church but also the Judar Church, the Dominion Church, and even the Yatan Church.

If he took too much time, it would take too long to complete the quest.

Should I take off the mantle for a while from tomorrow? Grid pondered but soon changed his mind.

'I don't often wander around... After this quest, I'll get married and work as a blacksmith, so I won't have time to level up for a while... Yeah, I'll take full advantage of this opportunity.'

The next day.

With the sun up and his stamina recharged, Grid put on Malakthe's Mantle again. He continued to hunt while crossing the mountains.

As a result, while it usually takes three days to cross the Suaz Mountains, Grid spent a week.

Thanks to this, he not only made a decent profit from items but also leveled up rapidly, making him very happy.

However, at this time, there was someone suffering because of Grid...

"Grid... When are you coming back..."

At Kan's blacksmith shop, where Grid had disappeared!

In a corner of the blacksmith shop, a large, bald man was crouching. He was none other than Bantner.

He was sitting and muttering like a shut-in, staring at the entrance of the blacksmith shop.

"Grid... Come on... Come... Come back right now..."

Finally, after waiting, it was his turn for Grid to make an item for him!

But this guy, instead of making an item, disappeared to do a quest and has been missing for ten days. There's no telling when he'll come back.

"Why...! Why did it have to be my turn...!"

Meanwhile, thanks to Grid, Fon and Evelyn were leveling up rapidly. Fon's level had far surpassed Bantner's, and Evelyn's level was almost catching up to Bantner's.

"Please come back quickly~~~!!"

Other guild members who had come to Kan to have their items repaired noticed Bantner and whispered among themselves.

"Why is he doing this when he could just level up?"

"He must have seen Fon and Evelyn sweeping up monsters with their items. After that, he felt discouraged and couldn't go hunting."

"Well, he's still better than us, right? Grid enhanced his axe, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but... Even with that, his attack power is mediocre, and his defense is weak, so he can't hunt at his level."

"Man, for a Guardian Knight, he put all his stats into Strength and only cared about his weapon, so he's doomed."

One day, Bantner suggested to Jishuka.

"Next time, when Grid goes on a quest, let's all go together. Then we can quickly complete the quest together. That way, Grid won't waste time on quests and can focus on making items for us, right?"

"...Grid needs to enjoy the game too."

"He's a blacksmith! He needs to stick to his job!"

"..."

Bantner wanted to lock Grid in the blacksmith shop and make him only create items.

After crossing the Suaz Mountains, Grid climbed two more small mountains and crossed a large river to finally arrive at Rolling.

Rolling was a small village, and from here, it was only half a day's walk to the Vatican.

"The place is full of statues of Rebecca."

Statues of Rebecca, large and small, were placed in shops and houses on the streets. No matter which direction you turned your head, you could find at least one or two statues. It seemed that the residents of Rolling worshiped Rebecca fanatically.

'Being close to the Vatican, the town naturally took on the color of the Rebecca Church...'

Meow~

Cats lounging in the sun, nestled in the arms of the serene-smiling statue, looked incredibly peaceful. The merchants and residents on the streets were living their daily lives leisurely, without rushing or shouting.

Grid felt a sense of calm.

'This is a world apart from the bustling Winstone. It feels like a vacation.'

He started humming a tune.

With a relaxed mind, Grid strolled around the village, but he suddenly stopped.

'Am I going crazy?'

Now that he had come this far, he should be progressing the quest as quickly as possible! How could he be wasting time sightseeing?

'I've become lazy because things are going well.'

Grid knew from experience that when a person becomes lazy, the worst results can occur. If he let his guard down now that things were going well, he might fall back into debt at any moment.

Feeling anxious due to past trauma, Grid quickened his pace. He headed for the blacksmith shop.

['The Master effect of the "Master Blacksmith's Skill" has been activated. Blacksmith NPCs who have learned intermediate or higher blacksmithing skills will recognize you and treat you favorably.']

['The effect of the "Descendant of Pagma" class has been activated. Blacksmith NPCs who have learned advanced blacksmithing skills will recognize you and worship you.']

The moment he entered the blacksmith shop, notification windows appeared, which he hadn't seen in a while.

Having lived in Winstone for a while and only visiting Kan's blacksmith shop, it had been months since he met a new blacksmith.

Would the blacksmith in Rolling be an intermediate or advanced blacksmith?

Grid wanted to be worshiped. However...

"Welcome~"

The blacksmith greeted Grid. He looked to be in his early twenties and, coincidentally, was a beginner blacksmith. He treated Grid like an ordinary customer, not recognizing his true identity.

"Are you looking for something?"

Feeling disappointed, Grid sighed and stated his business.

"I want to repair an item."

"Sure, I'll repair it right away."

Grid was skeptical.

"What? You're going to repair my item?"

A beginner blacksmith offering to repair an item made by a legendary blacksmith!

Grid found it ridiculous.

"They say ignorance is bliss... Do you even know who I am..."

"Excuse me?"

"Hey, hey. Never mind. I'm a blacksmith too, so I'll fix my own item. Can I borrow your forge? I'll pay the usage fee."

Rolling's blacksmith, Lector, was wary of Grid.

"Are you really a blacksmith?"

Grid was wearing steel gauntlets, black iron-reinforced boots, and a heavy armor that looked incredibly heavy. What kind of blacksmith would walk around dressed like that? Grid looked like a warrior at first glance, and it was a stretch to consider him a blacksmith.

Grid clicked his tongue.

"Do you doubt that I'm a blacksmith? You really lack discernment... You're not cut out to be a blacksmith, kid."

"What, what did you say?"

Lector was a young man in his early twenties. Although he was young, he could tolerate Grid's abrupt informal speech. However, to also throw in such harsh words?

Feeling ashamed, Lector's face turned red.

Feeling guilty, Grid cleared his throat a few times. He then tried to console Lector, saying carefully,

"Well, how can I know your future? Even if your discernment is rotten now, you might still become great someday... Tsk, watch carefully. This is a rare opportunity. Be grateful to Rebecca for arranging this meeting and watch me work."

"..."

Grid didn't ask for Lector's permission anymore. He walked up to the forge and started the fire.

"Hey! If you handle that carelessly, you might get burned... Huh?"

Lector's eyes widened. Grid had raised the temperature of the forge at an incredible speed.

'Controlling the fire so freely... Is that even possible!'

Even his late father, an intermediate blacksmith, couldn't control the fire as easily as Grid. Grid seemed to be the embodiment of fire itself.

While Lector was amazed, Grid took out an anvil and hammer from his inventory. He then began to repair his items one by one.

[The durability of the ideal dagger has reached its maximum.]

[This is an item you crafted. Your understanding is 100%.]

[The durability of the ideal gauntlets has reached its maximum.]

[This is an item you crafted. Your understanding is 100%.]

[Even if your understanding of an item you crafted is at its maximum, penalties will apply if you do not meet the item's usage requirements.]

[The durability of Kan's Masterpiece has reached its maximum.]

[Your understanding of Kan's Masterpiece is already 100%. You have learned the crafting method and can use it without penalties.]

[The durability of Dainsleif (Replica) has reached its maximum.]

[Your understanding of Dainsleif (Replica) has increased by 3% to 31%.]

[The durability of the Frost Orc Chieftain's Helmet has reached its maximum.]

[Your understanding of the Frost Orc Chieftain's Helmet has increased by 7% to 85%.]

[The durability of Braham's Boots has reached its maximum.]

[Your understanding of Braham's Boots has increased by 3% to 6%.]

Understanding of items is a concept that only exists for the Descendants of Pagma.

Descendants of Pagma can increase their understanding of items by using, appraising, repairing, and dismantling them. When the understanding of an item reaches 100%, they can handle it freely and even learn the crafting method.

If the understanding of Dainsleif reaches 100%, Grid can mass-produce Dainsleif.

However, the higher the item's grade and usage requirements, the slower the understanding increases. It's still unknown when Grid will learn the crafting method for Dainsleif.

'Still, the understanding of the Frost Orc Chieftain's Helmet has increased quite a bit. Hmm, should I challenge reaching 100% understanding now